


To Honor The Day

by daisey (svana_vrika)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, M/M, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-25
Updated: 2005-01-25
Packaged: 2018-04-13 01:31:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4502628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svana_vrika/pseuds/daisey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Birthdays are honored in various ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Honor The Day

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [New Year, New Beginnings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3066371) by [daisey (svana_vrika)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/svana_vrika/pseuds/daisey). 



> Written in 2005 for Jounouchi's birthday for the defunct Yahoo! group, A Dragons Lair. Unbated. All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: The following is written solely for fun, and no infringement is intended. Yu-gi-Oh! and the scenarios and characters involved are the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi.
> 
> No spoilers of which I'm aware.

It was dark. Or at least, it should have been. The wind was blowing fiercely, sending sheets of snow whirling around until everything was a blinding white, instead of the murky blackness that one could at least see through. It was January 25th, and Domino was being pummeled by perhaps the harshest blizzard in that city's history. 

In a birthing room of a small community hospital, an auburn-haired woman was in the throes of labor, her cries eerily matching that of the winds outside. A stocky blonde man held her hand, encouraging her to push as he thanked Kami silently that he had been able to get things together in time to make an honest woman out of her and avoid having to go through the whole Ninchi process. 

After what seemed like hours, the physician tugged the baby free and, briefly cleaning it up, handed the ruddy, screaming infant to its mother as he told her she had a son. The nurse nodded at the whispered "Jounouchi Katsuya" and the man looked proudly at his exhausted wife. Reaching behind him, he grabbed a small bouquet of Heliotrope, symbolic of the devotion he felt toward the woman who had just gifted him a son. With tear-filled eyes he handed her the flowers and gave her a gentle kiss, to honor the day.

*****

A year had passed and the winter was gentler. The woman watched as her son took a tottering step away from her and toward her husband. Her eyes shone softly at the pride in the man's eyes as the towheaded boy lurched toward his father in the comical gait that only a youngster learning to walk could produce. With a riotous laugh, the man scooped the boy up in his arms and deposited him into the highchair, holding his hands away from the tiny cake with the single candle on it until his wife could snap the picture. Still chuckling, the man removed the candle and freed his son's hands, moving over to slip an arm around his wife's waist as they watched their boy literally paint his face with chocolate icing, to honor the day.

*****  
A set of curious brown eyes peered over the edge of a bassinet. The just-turned four-year-old watched his two-month-old sister sleep. The woman smiled tenderly, and then turned her gaze back out the window, anxiously watching for her husband through the snow. Things at the plant weren't going well, and he had taken to working late, hoping that the company would see his dedication and not lay him off as they had so many others. 

The change had been hard on the family; Katsuya in particular. He missed his father's booming laugh and the swooping hugs and roughly gentle play that only daddies are capable of giving their sons. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the little boy wondered if the baby he was gazing at was responsible. When he saw her smile in her sleep, all thoughts of that vanished as he ran to his mother to tell her what he had seen. Barely able to contain the excited boy, she pulled him to her lap and held him in her arms.

"It's a birthday present, Kat-chan," she said, nuzzling her nose in the curly blonde locks and enjoying the scent of pure boy. "Shizuka gave you her first smile, to honor the day."

*****

The room was filled with children, running around and squealing excitedly. While the living room of their small apartment couldn't accommodate all of Katsuya's friends, the closest ones had been invited, along with a very special guest. The woman smiled at her brother, who had just returned to Japan and had made the flight from Sendai to Domino to celebrate the birthday of her son. 

A loud burst of laughter was heard as Honda Hiroto, the last child in line, pinned the donkey's tail squarely on its nose. Blushing furiously, the crew-cut brunette tore off the blindfold and looked at his tail. Within seconds, he had joined the rest of the children in their laughter as Katsuya's uncle handed a prize to the little girl that had come the closest to the mark. 

Suddenly, the woman and her brother found themselves surrounded by children clamoring for cake and presents. Katsuya's mother shooed them to the kitchen, sighing softly as she watched her son run to the window yet again to peer through the darkness to check for his father. Her brother got a slightly angry look on his face but hid it quickly and went to scoop the pensive boy over his shoulder, delighting in the giggles he got in response. 

"You can't keep your friends waiting, Katsuya," he teased, wiggling his fingers lightly against the waist that he held. Afraid that the laughing, wriggling boy would fall, he set his nephew down, urging him into the kitchen where his friends and the cake awaited. Gathering his breath, the boy turned to his uncle and his mother. 

"I'm a big boy today." He said, his brown eyes serious as he looked at the two adults. "An' I don't wanna be called Katsuya no more. Some bigger boys were teasing me 'cause it sounds like that new girl from 'merica's name. _Katrina._ " He grimaced as he mimicked the name, and then re-set his face into the serious one of before. His mother hid a smile behind her hand as his uncle laughed outright.

"Fine then, boy," he said, deliberately avoiding the use of his name and causing said boy to giggle. "What are we to call you then?" The boy flicked his eyes to the window again before straightening himself up proudly.

"I wanna be called Jou," he replied, pointing a thumb at himself as he smiled up at his uncle. "Just like my daddy." The man's kind eyes landed on those of his sister and hardened slightly as he took in their saddened expression. Trying his best to school his expression into a happy one he held out a hand to his nephew.

"Fine then," he said, solemnly shaking the boy's hand. "Jou it is." Grinning happily, the blonde ran into the kitchen and took his place behind the cake, holding his breath as his mother lit the candles. He waited until she shut out the light and then blew out the seven slender flames, to honor the day.

*****

"Fuckin' bitch!" the man yelled, slamming the beer bottle down on the table. "Sittin' around on yer ass all day for the past ten years, doin' nothin while I worked myself ta death!"

"Shut up!" the woman screamed in response. "Just shut the hell up! You haven't worked in over a year! You haven't even _tried_ to get a job since the factory closed! And if I've been doing nothing for the past few years, then who's been raising your kids?" 

"Hmph!" the man snorted into his beer. "Stupid kids prob'ly aren't even mine."

"I- How-" tears choked the woman's voice for a minute. "You stupid bastard!" she finally screeched, throwing herself at the man and pummeling him with her fists. "How dare you accuse me of messing around when I've caught you at it at least twice!" she raged. 

"'Snot my fault you quit puttin' out," he leered, shoving her roughly away from him. 

"I was raising two kids and running this house!" she defended angrily. "I didn't have the energy to wake up at three in the morning to satiate you when you stumbled in from the bar! Maybe if you weren't drunk off your ass all the time- Ouch!" she cried as the man struck her in the face. 

The boy had heard enough. Creeping away from his hiding place behind the door, he moved toward his room, wincing as he heard his mother cry out yet again. Silently he shut the door behind him, glad that the thin wood held out most of the sound from the room he shared with his sister. He peeked over at her bed and sighed in relief when he saw her still asleep. Pulling back his covers, he noticed a folded piece of construction paper just below his pillow. Smiling at the leaning cake drawn on the front, he opened it up and found ten wobbly hearts drawn in red by his six-year-old sister's hand, to honor the day. 

*****

"Dad, please!" the boy implored, shielding himself from the older man. I didn't break it- I swear! The snow was just so heavy an'-" Jou winced as his father grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him roughly to his feet.

"That's enough of your lyin', boy!" he roared, shoving the slender blonde against the wall. "That fuckin' shovel cost me ten bucks and- what's this?" he said suddenly, his eyes drawn to something sticking out of Jou's pocket. Not giving the boy time to answer, he yanked an envelope out and peered at it, snorting derisively as he noticed the Sendai address. "What's that bastard want?" he growled, moving to tear it open.

"It's mine! Give it to me!" the boy cried out, reaching for it in vain. Grabbing the youth’s slender wrists in one hand and slamming them against the wall above his head, the man tore open the envelope the rest of the way with his teeth. Turning it upside down he smirked as two ten dollar bills floated out, followed by a brightly colored card.

"Look's like I'm not out the shovel after all!" he exclaimed triumphantly, jerking his son down with him as he bent to scoop up the bills. "This one'll pay for the one ya broke, and this one'll pay for the new one. And as for this-" The man sneered, bending again to pick up the card. Never releasing his hold on the boy, he placed one end of it in his teeth and grabbed hold of it with his hand. Smirking around the card, he slowly ripped it in two and then spat both pieces to the ground. "Aw, whatsa matter Jou?" he mocked, leering as he saw the tears fall down the boy's face. "Sad ya didn't get a birthday present? Well here!" he said viciously, forcing the boy to the couch and over the armrest. "Since ya broke my shovel, let me give ya somethin' in return." 

Jou bit through the inside of his lip as his jeans and briefs were yanked down and he heard the sound of a belt being pulled through its loops. Tears falling down his cheeks, he remained silent as the rough leather was forcibly whipped across the bare, sensitive skin of his hips and buttocks fourteen times, to honor the day. 

***** 

"Happy Birthday Jounouchi-Kun!" a chorus of voices sounded as the blonde walked into the Kame game shop. The boy stopped short, surprised by the greeting he had received. Mouth agape, he twirled around as his eyes swept the room, taking in the brightly colored balloons and streamers. He turned toward the door just in time to see Mutou-san turn the 'open' sign to 'closed.' Still silent, he turned his bewildered eyes toward the shortest of the group. He had only known Yugi for just under a year, and had been friends with him for less than that. A feeling of shame stabbed through his heart as it did every time he thought about the cruel prank he had pulled that summer- throwing the center piece of the Millennium Puzzle into the school pool. It was quickly replaced by a feeling of warmth as the smaller boy tugged on his arm. 

"Come this way Jounouchi-Kun," he stated quietly, his eyes dancing with a secret that he was dying to tell. Smiling at his friend, he followed him over to the door that led to the stairway of the living quarters. The blonde waited for him to open it, quirking an eyebrow in surprise when Yugi rolled his eyes and picked up Jou's hand, placing it on the knob. He paused just a moment before turning the handle and cautiously opening the door, only to find himself knocked backwards by a whirlwind of auburn hair.

"Sh- Shizuka?" he croaked out, holding his sister to him lest she disappear. 

"Happy Birthday, Big Brother!" she cried out excitedly, kissing him on both cheeks before prying herself out of Jou's grasp. "And I'm not the only one here to celebrate your day!" Pulling the door open with a flourish, she stepped back as Jou's mother stepped out of the stairway, followed by her brother. Tears filled his eyes and he wiped them away with a tremulous hand before eagerly embracing the two adults. Shocked into silence, he could do little more than lead the small group back to the main part of the store, where they were greeted excitedly by his group of friends. Grinning happily, Jou turned when he felt a presence at his side.

"You did this," he accused his friend playfully, shoving the stocky brunette with his elbow. "An' don't deny it Honda, 'cause Yug' had no idea when my birthday was!" The brunette shrugged lightly, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. 

"Yeah, so?" he said defensively, running his hand over the spike in his hair to ensure that it hadn't dislodged during the blonde's roughhousing, "Every one deserves a happy birthday once in a while; even you ya jerk." Jou saw the insult for what it truly was and pulled his closest friend into a rough hug, whispering a hurried 'thank you' into his ear before he was pulled away by his sister's gentle hand. 

When he got to the counter, he saw Anzu and his mother putting the finishing touches on what appeared to be several small cakes positioned in a cross shape, followed by a second shape consisting of three horizontal lines- the bottom one being slightly longer- connected by two vertical lines- one centered against the top line and joining all three; the other starting at the end of the right end of the middle line and ending at the bottom line. He smiled as he recognized the Kanji for fifteen, trying to hide his happy tears as his family and friends sang him happy birthday,to honor the day. 

*****

Jonouchi limped into homeroom, exhausted though the day had just begun. Babying his left leg slightly, he slid into his chair and buried his pale face in his arms as he rested them against his desk. He winced as his knee began to throb; the injury as fresh as the ice that his father had pushed him out on when he had forced him through the door. Despite how he tried, he couldn’t forget what had happened.

 

Still growing into his lanky body, the blonde, being half asleep, had clumsily knocked against the table. He’d cried out as his father had sworn and had cuffed him upside the head. It seemed that the table had held a box; one that, as the stars had cleared from his vision, Jou had recognized immediately. It was the box to a chess set- a leaded crystal one. It was the one thing that Jou had been gifted from his maternal grandfather's estate when the man had passed a few years back. Not having the patience to learn the game, Jou had snuck it in and hidden it deep beneath his bed; loath to part with the one thing he had to remind him of his favorite grandparent. 

Before he’d been able to gather enough wits to wonder how his father had come by it, the man had yanked him up by his collar, putting a rip in the last decent uniform shirt the boy had. Roaring out curses and insults, the man had gestured to the floor and the shattered pieces of crystal; the drawer in the mahogany board containing the white pieces had come open at the impact, spilling every single one from pawn to king onto the unforgiving tile of the kitchen floor. Jounouchi had stared stupidly at the mess, only half listening to his father as he’d ranted on about how he would never be able to sell off the set with only half of it there. Suddenly Jou had felt the air forced out of him as his father had slammed the edge of the box into his stomach and had pushed him out the door, snarling at him not to bother returning until he could come up with the cash that the chess set would have brought.

Never raising his head, Jou dropped one hand into his schoolbag to lovingly touch the smooth mahogany of the board. Tears filled his eyes as he suddenly felt a nick in the polished wood; put there by his own clumsy actions. That was how Honda found him when he walked into homeroom, there early because his mother had driven him in due to the weather. Rushing to his friend's side, he asked what had happened, his voice full of concern.

In a broken voice, Jou told him everything; from the damage he had caused to the precious memento, to the money he was expected to come up with before he could return home. Honda was so intent on Jou's story and Jou was so intent on his misery that neither noticed the tall brunette enter the room and listen to the tale. Sapphire eyes showing a tenderness that either boy would have been shocked to have seen, he silently slipped out of the room and placed a call. Explaining to his servant what he wanted and exactly where in his deceased step-father's room to look, he hung up and stepped back into the room just behind the first noisy rush of students. 

Hurriedly, Jou dried his eyes and buried his face in his textbook, earning several surprised glances, including that of the sensei. Jounouchi remained subdued the rest of the day, not even noticing that Kaiba wasn't provoking him per his usual manner. Nor did he notice when the brunette, under the pretense of an urgent business call, slipped out of final period to meet his servant in the parking lot. Silently making his way to Jou's locker, and finally putting to use the combination that he had paid more than most minimum wage workers made in a week to obtain, he smiled softly as he set a small box in the blonde's messy cubicle and topped it with a blank- but full- envelope. 

"Happy birthday, Puppy," he whispered, smiling softly as the irony of that particular gift on that particular day hit him: sixteen crystal chess pieces for the now sixteen-year-old blonde that had been occupying his mind more often than not lately, to honor the day. 

*****

Jou sighed contentedly as he hung up the phone with his sister. Though neither she nor his mother could be there, they both had called to wish him happiness on his day. He stretched languidly against the sheets, reveling in the feel of the silk against his skin. He looked out the balcony window with a smile as he noticed that a light snow had begun to fall. Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and a tall brunette walked over to the bed, chuckling lowly at the lazy blonde stretched out in front of him. 

"Aren't you out of bed yet?" he admonished gently, reaching a hand down to tangle in the golden tresses of his lover. Jou purred lightly and moved over to the other side of the bed, still warm from where Seto had laid during the night. Chuckling again, the brunette slid off his robe and slipped back into bed, shivering lightly as he crossed Jou's pillow and took in his scent. Pulling the blonde into his arms, he flipped them over so that each was on their respective side. Jou giggled a bit at the obsessiveness of his lover and then snuggled into his chest, a contented smile on his face.

"Do you know what today is?" he finally asked, his breath skating across the expanse of chest in front of him and sending another shiver through the brunette's spine. 

"Of course I do, Puppy," he answered sleepily, lulled there by the warmth and comfort that holding his lover always rewarded him with. "We're gonna meet your uncle and Nyoko later tonight and celebrate, remember?" He pulled back from the blonde and blinked in surprise as he felt Jou shake his head no.

"Nuh huh," he said, his voice lightly teasing. "I mean, yeah; it's my birthday, but that's not what I was talkin' about." Smirking at the confused expression on his lover's usually confident face, Jou reached up and kissed him before snuggling back into his chest. 

"Well then, what _are_ you talking about?" he inquired, looking down amusedly at the blonde head nestled against him. Jou smiled against his chest, the sensation bringing a smile to his own face. "Puppy?" Eyes shining, Jou pulled away from the brunette and locked gazes with him.

"It's exactly one month to the day that you pinned me to the ground in the school yard and that that video was taken," he said softly, smiling as the look of confusion landed on the brunette's face once more. "That day may not mean much to you, but it'll always mean somethin' to me; if it weren't for that video, then I wouldn't be where I am right now." Seto's eyes softened as they gazed upon the nonsensically romantic blonde lying in his arms. Though they had been lovers for under a month, he couldn't imagine going back to a life without Jou. The very thought made his breath catch and he pulled Jou to him tightly, burying his face in his lover’s silky locks to hide the vulnerability in his eyes.

"Yes you would, Puppy," he insisted harshly, his voice muffled in his lover's hair. "We were meant to be together. If it wouldn't have happened then, it would have happened eventually."

"Yeah but, with the way we were fightin', who knows how long it would have been." Jou sighed contentedly as he nuzzled closer against Seto's chest. "As for me, I'm glad that it happened when it did." He tilted his head to look at his lover, his eyes frank. "Even though we didn't end up together that day, to me it'll always be the day that my life really started- my new life with you." Pushing himself up slightly he brought an arm around his lover's neck and drew him down into a gentle yet passionate kiss, his silent lips moving across the brunette's saying more than he ever could verbally. 

"Well then," Seto said breathlessly once his lips had been released, "We mustn't let the one month anniversary of such a momentous occasion go uncelebrated." Smirking lightly and moving quickly, the brunette soon had his lover pinned to the bed in a position quite similar to the one of a month ago- the only difference being that he was taunting the blonde with kisses instead of words, to honor the day.


End file.
